Dear Families,

Today, Governor Whitmer and the Return to Learning Advisory Council released the MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap. Additionally, Governor Whitmer issued an Executive Order addressing the return to school in the fall. According to Governor Whitmer, the plan includes protocols that each district in the state must follow based on the phase of the MI Safe Start Plan that the district’s region is in. As a district, we will be thoroughly reviewing the plan and Executive Order and how they will affect our return to school in the fall.

In addition to the Governor’s plan, last week the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate Education Committees released their “Return to Learn” plan. According to lawmakers, the plan was developed to provide “maximum flexibility to empower students and parents in the coming school year.” However, at this time, the Education Committees have not released a detailed plan, and the Education Committees’ plan must still be approved by the full House and Senate and signed into law by Governor Whitmer.

As we learn what will be mandated and what will be recommended, these will be factored into our plans and shared with families. Additionally, since some of these mandates or recommendations may alter a family’s view on returning to school in the fall, we anticipate sending additional surveys.

One plan that is moving forward very quickly is to offer a high quality, fully online learning option to any of our families that wish to utilize it. This program will build on what we learned from online teaching during the spring but will be much more robust. To support this, the district has purchased a learning management system that will enable teachers to more efficiently manage their lessons and allow both parents and students to access the learning materials. Additional information on this program will be shared in future district updates.

Sincerely,

Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S.

Superintendent

Howell Public Schools